Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-05-14
THE COCAINE HABIT.
Its Terrible Growth In This City
Over Three Hundred Grains Con.
sumed in a Single Day.
The Drug Stores Doing a Heavy Bust.
ness In 1.-THE Trade Growing
Heavier Daily.
Chippies and Tin Horn Gamblers the
Principal COnsumers-Slaves in
the Higher Walks Of Life.

The most horrible evil TO which COM
munlty could be subjected, that of the
cocaine habit, is reported to be growing
in this city at an alarming rate. A hur-
ried investigation by a DEMOCRAT re-
porter, shows state of affairs which
must be startling to those who have had
no opportunity to observe for themselves.
A well known physician says that the
number of actual slaves to this habit,
will run away up into the hundreds,
and among them will be found many
who occupy social positions far above
mediocrity. The consumers usually
visit the drug stores late at night, when
there are no other customers about, and
it is not unusual for them to ring up the
night clerk along in the small hours of
the morning in order to satisfy their
burning desires. Drug clerks say that
the classes most given to to the use of
the drug are chippies and tin-horn
gamblers, and as usual thing,
they make no attempt to disguise
the fact that they are steady consumers.
Inquiries at the different drug stores
reveals the fact that no less than three
hundred grains of the drug were sold
yesterday, and this is not at all above
the average.
AN RNsLAyED CHIPPY.
The night clerk of one of our leading
drug stores says that he has one regular
customer who literally lives on the drug.
Her visits are regular, and on each occa-
sion she buys as large an amount
as her limited purse will allow.
She talks freely about using the
drug, and often expresses a wish
that she had never started it. She says
that she would give half her life to be on
the other side of the day when she first
touched cocaine, but she has no idea of
trying to give it up as that is entirely too
heavy an undertaking for her weak mind.
There are dozens OF her class who are
about as bad off as she is and there are
none who would not be glad to break her
chains.
A WEALTHY WOMAN.
1t is also stated that among the self
enslaved victims there is a woman, the
revelations of whose name would cause
a shocking sensational scandal. This
lady, though rich, educated and ac-
complished, is most complete
slave to the habit 1t is true
that she does not use it
so frequently as the most reckless
women of the lower classes, but even her
sense Of self-respect does not go far in
the fight against the great enemy. This
woman, like a few others Of the better
class, who are victims, sends messengers
for it, but on rare occasions has been
known to enter stores and purchase it
herself o..
Male consumers are not so numerous
as those OF the weaker sex, but they are
just as easily enslaved when they once
give in to it.
HOW TO SPOT THEM.
Aphysician says that he can always tell
victim by the peculiarly livid COM
plexion, the lifeless expression OF the
eye and other unmistakable signs. He
says that if you once see one of them you
can spot them ever afterward.
Nearly all former victims of the opium
habit have given up the old drug for the
new, and they find the shackels of CO.
caine thousand times worse than those
of the celestial opiate The habit is gain
ing new converts every day and the
sooner something is done to prevent the
free traffic in the poison the better it will
lie for the entire town.